Proton-pump inhibitor

Uncommon card · No. 152020

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a class of medications that cause a profound and prolonged reduction of stomach acid production. They do so by irreversibly inhibiting the stomach's H+/K+ ATPase proton pump. The body eventually synthesizes new proton pumps to replace the irreversibly inhibited ones—a process driven by normal cellular turnover, which gradually restores acid production. Proton-pump inhibitors have largely superseded the H2-receptor antagonists, a group of medications with similar effects but a different mode of action, and heavy use of antacids. Potassium-competitive acid blockers (PCABs) have entered the market since the 2010s. PPIs are among the most widely sold medications in the world. The class of proton-pump inhibitor medications is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, omeprazole being the specific listed example.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Anypodetos, Public domain